Risky Business: Are You at Risk for Arthritis?
Arthritis is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Even though it is very common, it is still painful and incurable. Even though you may not realize it, you could be at great risk for developing arthritis. Although some of these conditions cannot be changed, there are a number of things you can do to prevent arthritis from occurring in your later years. Assess your risk in order to better be able to prevent yourself from developing this painful condition.
First, understand that arthritis can affect anyone of any age, race, and gender. Babies as young as six months can develop arthritis, even though most people equate arthritis with old age. It is true that your risks increase after the age of 40. There are a number of other things that increase your risk as well. For example, sports injuries often evolve into arthritic conditions, so if you are an active youth, be careful to avoid injury. If injury does occur, it is necessary to always continue treating the injury throughout your life to prevent more serious conditions from developing.
Weight is a very important factor when it comes to arthritis. If you are more than 30 pounds overweight, extra stress is put onto your joints, creating arthritic pain. Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly is important in all facets of health.
Genetics also plays an important role in the development of arthritis. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to counteract that. However, if you live an otherwise healthy life, you can help to reduce the risk of arthritic conditions developing at a younger age. Women are generally more at risk than men to development many kinds of arthritis. This is due in part to hormonal changes during different parts of a woman’s monthly cycles as well as hormonal changes during menopause. Keeping your hormones in check by regularly seeing your doctor to discus any changes is therefore very important in reducing your risk for developing arthritis. Certain ethnicities are also at a higher risk for different kinds of arthritis. For example, African Americans are more likely to develop lupus, an arthritic disease. Caucasians, on the other hand, are at a larger risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis. Certain groups of Americans are also at risk for certain types of arthritis.
Overall, if you are at a greater risk for arthritis, you need to take steps to reduce your chance of developing a disease. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating a good diet and exercising regularly. Although arthritis can be a difficult disease with which to deal, you can prevent its onset.
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